

Workers shots / Greg Macafee
Chalker’s Landen Duncan celebrates following advancing to the state finals with a 4-1 selection.

COLUMBUS — Chalker’s Landen Duncan is wanting to make heritage, and he’s just one move closer to accomplishing so.
With a 4-1 determination victory over Genoa Area’s Phoenix Contos in the 120-pound semifinals of the OHSAA point out wrestling tournament, Duncan is on the verge of turning into the initially state wrestling winner in school background.
“I realized that it was in all probability one of my most important matches of all time,” Duncan reported. “I understood that if I received that I could get to the state finals, and I felt really good likely into it. I just wrestled my match.”
In a rather lower-scoring match, Duncan scored a takedown in the 1st period and a reversal in the third to score his four factors, though Contos picked up an escape in the second period to receive his 1 point.
Although it was a low-scoring match, Duncan put on the force throughout the match. He controlled Contos from commencing to conclusion and never designed any drastic issues that would have opened him up to any far more details, and that was the recreation system likely in.
“It was just consistent strain,” Duncan explained. “I apply with South Range, and they say it all the time, just ‘Constant force, relentless tension.’ I did it that match, and it showed.”
Duncan will wrestle Dillon Campbell (38-2) from Legacy Christian currently in the Division III 120-pound point out closing. Campbell earned a vacation to the championship match with an 8- main conclusion above Barnesville’s Dakota King.
Duncan started off his condition closing operate Friday when he knocked off Seneca East’s Nathan Parks with a 5-2 decision. In the very first session Saturday, he defeated Newark Catholic’s Brian Luft with a near 2- selection, which came on a reversal in the early phases of the third period of time.
Although Duncan mentioned he experienced a several nerves, he included that getting at the state tournament previous 12 months, exactly where he gained a fourth-area finish, served him comprehend what he could do.
“The first match was nerves, just being in the stadium for the initially time,” Duncan claimed. “But the other two matches I was fantastic for the reason that I just had the mentality of profitable 1 far more match, one more match.”
Considering the fact that he began wrestling in superior school, Duncan has been the only wrestler at Chalker, which has developed a exceptional life-style for the junior all through wrestling period. He’s normally waking up at 6 a.m. to get in a solo exercise session in advance of heading to university and then he routinely has to journey an hour with his father, who doubles as his mentor and “hype man” to practice with other groups.
But in excess of the earlier three times, Duncan has not been by yourself. He’s had the complete community of Chalker at the rear of him. On Thursday, the school did a send-off for him, and Duncan’s father, Bobby, mentioned it was like a little something he’d in no way noticed right before.
“The sendoff we had was just enormous, we had so many people occur out. and they shut down the full faculty, K-12, and all the young ones acquired to deliver him off and that was awesome,” Bobby claimed. “Our group has just been enormous backing him, and that’s pushed him even a lot more to stay in our school.”
“Coming from a college that doesn’t wrestle, with a father that has by no means wrestled ahead of, he’s truly broken historical past by means of everything.”
Now, Landen is seeking to carry house the huge win and make history for Chalker Significant College.
“It’s a wonderful story, just all-all-around, to ideally provide back again a state-title to a little school, where sports genuinely aren’t our factor. It would be great to bring back again a condition title,” Landen stated.
Landen and Campbell will face off all through Session 5 of the point out event right now, which commences at 5 p.m. with the parade of champions.
Looking FOR BRONZE
Garfield’s Hunter Andel (165) and Keegan Promote (175) are in the hunt for a bronze medal now. Following each lost their semifinal matches on Saturday, they’ll contend for a prospect to wrestle in the third-put match. Andel will take on Versailles Carson Bey and Provide will encounter Waynedale’s Peyton Lemon.
In spite of getting rid of his very first match of the tournament, Howland’s Gage Gibson is in the hunt for a third-place medal, far too, and he’s carrying out it in design.
Following dropping to London’s Thadd Huff by an 11-5 determination in the first spherical, Gibson has pinned his last three opponents in 2:09, 3:15 and 1:56. Gibson will have his shot at revenge when he can take on Huff all over again for a shot to compete in the third-put match.
Following a operate to the semifinals, Boardman’s Sean O’Horo (175 lbs.) also finds himself competing for third following struggling a challenging 9- key decision decline to La Salle’s Chase Stein. O’Horo will wrestle Moeller’s Kurt Thomspon right now for a shot to contend in the 3rd-spot match. If he loses, he’ll wrestle once more for fifth.
THE EDGE OF THE PODIUM
With the second working day of the OHSAA point out wrestling tournament in excess of, five wrestlers however obtain on their own vying for a seventh-place complete. Amongst individuals 5 are two South Array wrestlers. Hunter Newel will acquire on Wayne Trace’s Corbin Kimmel for a seventh-area end in the 106-pound class today, and Logan Cormell will just take on Liberty Center’s Camren Foster after falling to Adena’s Isaac Gray by an 11-2 main decision.
Poland’s Dillon Smith will see a familiar confront in his seventh-area match as he’s paired up with Taylor’s Dillonn Davidson. The two squared off in the initial round, and Smith came away with a 17-8 major decision.
West Branch’s Steven Marra is one more Mahoning Valley wrestler competing for a seventh-area finish. He’ll just take on Manfield Senior’s Mekhi Bradley today right after getting rid of to Miami Trace’s Bryce Bennet in the consolations.
Eventually, Tyler Lintner will consider on Barberton’s Mason Valencia for seventh-location medal right after slipping to Marysville’s Erryl Will.